Dr. Lien Thikeo, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos,
presided over a meeting last month to discuss the development and
business opportunities of Laos rubber industry. According to the
participants of the Chinese experts predict: After a
comprehensive analysis of rubber farming and operators, rubber
trade may be in the next period of time profit growth.The current
decline in rubber prices led to the sale of rubber is not sold, a
large number of farmers to plant other economic crops. Laos had a
total of 900 hectares of rubber forest in 2003, soared to 28,800
hectares in 2007, three years later reached 234,000 hectares. The
acreage in 2014 was 282,000 hectares. 59 per cent in the northern
region, 23 per cent in the central region and 18 per cent in the
southern province. Of which 46% of the rubber plantation has a
franchise, 30% of the private farmers, 24% through the contract
management.

Some growers cut off part of the trees because of falling rubber
prices. Due to the expansion of the automotive industry, rubber
demand is also growing in the future of China and Indonesia. It
is predicted that by 2020, the global market demand for rubber
more than 600 million tons, only Asia will need more than 2
million tons of rubber.